Sports

SAN FRANCISCO — With his team chasing the Chicago Cubs for the best record in baseball, Washington manager Dusty Baker is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the Nationals close — even if it means pulling closer Jonathan Papelbonin the ninth inning. While it might not be the move he cherishes, it’s one Baker may...

SAN FRANCISCO – Jay Bruce insists he isn’t sitting around and savoring his home run streak. “There’s no time for that,” he said. “You do that in this game and it’s too late.” Bruce homered in his career-high fifth straight game, connecting off Madison Bumgarner and leading Dan Straily and the Cincinnati Reds over the slumpingSan Francisco Giants 2-1 on Wednesday. Bruce hit...

PITTSBURGH – Gerrit Cole never obsessed about pitching a complete game, but was happy to get his first one. Cole pitched a three-hitter and slumping Andrew McCutchen had a three-run home run among his three hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. “It was good, a really good feeling,” Cole said. “You...

ARLINGTON, Texas – Coco Crisp and Khris Davis got Oakland off to a quick start against Yu Darvish. Then came their big blows against a hard-throwing reliever to clinch the fourth series in a row for the Athletics. Crisp and Davis both hit two-run homers in the eighth off Matt Bush and the A’s beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 6-4 on Wednesday...

SAN FRANCISCO – Matt Cain‘s first win in more than two months didn’t come easily and it certainly wasn’t enough to put to rest concerns about the back end of the Giants’ rotation. Hitting a three-run homer, though, had the three-time All-Star and former staff ace feeling a lot better about things. More importantly, it...

PITTSBURGH — The strained right calf that sidelined Felix Hernandez for a third of the season is healed. That doesn’t mean the ace is all better, and he knows it. It will take time for the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner to regain his form, yet there’s a grit that he showed in...

ARLINGTON, Texas — When Bob Melvin went to the mound in the fifth inning, he wasn’t going to take Sonny Gray out of the game. The Oakland Athleticsmanager had a reminder with a pep talk. “You’ve got to remind him who Sonny Gray is,” Melvin said. “Sonny Gray is one of the best pitchers in the American...

ARLINGTON, Texas — Adrian Beltre got the fastball he wanted. Beltre’s second home run of the game was a two-run shot on the first pitch from Ryan Madson with two outs in the ninth inning, and it rallied the Texas Rangers past the Oakland Athletics 7-6 Monday night for their third straight win. “He’s...

SAN FRANCISCO — With the trade deadline less than a week away, Jay Bruceisn’t sure how much longer he’ll be in Cincinnati. If he does wind up with another team — Bruce has been the topic of trade speculation — the veteran outfielder is ending his run with the Reds on a memorable note. Bruce...

NEW YORK – Aroldis Chapman and the rest of the New York Yankees dressed in their Sunday best for a flight to Houston following a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants that completed a 6-4 homestand. Who returns in 10 days is unclear. New York was discussing a trade that would send Chapman to the Chicago Cubsas part of a...